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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

What I've Learned from Living Abroad

Similar to the story of The Lost Girls, at the age of 28, I took a scary life leap that involved quitting my hard-earned copywriting job, selling my house and car, leaving family and friends, and consuming lots of high fructose corn syrup to help me deal with equal doses of doubt: Was I throwing away everything I was supposed to want in life just to live in country where stores weren’t even open on Sundays?

Thankfully, I can safely say that no, it was all worth it. Living abroad has given me the space I needed to redefine myself without the pressure to keep up with the Joneses, to live the American dream.

Four years after moving to Switzerland, here are a few other things I’ve learned:

I’ve learned that it's ok to take an hour for lunch.

I’ve learned that I’m really good at smiling and nodding.

I’ve learned that no matter how long I live here I’m still going to crave Kraft Mac and Cheese.

I’ve learned that a velour suit is street wear in America and sleepwear in Switzerland.

I’ve learned that footwear is a great way to determine where someone is from.

25 comments:

Yeah, I was pretty bummed about the whole velour thing. I bought a velour outfit thinking I'd finally look decent for once in Europe and then I saw one hanging in a Swiss department store next to the pajamas.

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About Me

I’m an American writer who moved to Switzerland in 2006 and am now back in the US to determine if I can live anywhere else after being in a country filled with cheese, chocolate, and people who can pronounce my name. The author of Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I'd Known www.swisslifebook.com, and 99.9 Ways to Travel Switzerland Like a Local www.swisstravelbook.com, I have written about Switzerland for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN Travel, and many other publications.
Visit: www.chantalpanozzo.com

Copyright 2009 Chantal Panozzo. All content is sole property of the author and may not be reproduced in any form without permission. (But linking is welcome). Please contact the author for syndication or reprint inquiries.